ParentCONNECTxp: A Guide for Elementary School Parents

Student Information in the Home

WELCOME!

You have the opportunity to use a product that will allow you to view your child's school information via the web. The product ParentCONNECTxp is a web-based application that links parents and schools via the Internet. All you will need to gain access to your child's information is Internet access and a browser such as Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, or AOL version 3.0 or newer. With access to a computer and the Internet, parents will be able to obtain a password that will enable them to sign on and view information about their child in a secure and user-friendly environment.

Now let's get started!

In order to obtain a UserId and Password parents must pre-register for ParentCONNECTxp. To pre-register do the following:

Step 1: Go to ParentCONNECTxp website. Click on the link below or type in the url:

http://fcspc.fultonschools.org

Step 2: From the welcome screen click Register.

Step 3: Parents will see a security alert message displayed, Click Yes, indicating that you wish to proceed.

Step 4: Complete the pre-registration form displayed. Parents must complete the "Parent Information Section and the Student Information Section" of the form prior to clicking, Submit.

Only register once and click submit only once.

Step 5: Come to the school with picture ID to pick up your password and UserId. Pick up hours are between 7:30-11:30 a.m.

Passwords cannot be mailed, e-mailed, sent home via student, or given over the phone.

Parent Connect Security Concerns:
Recent changes to Microsoft Internet Explorer version 7 have been generating concerns about the security certificates associated with FCBOE Parent Connect servers.

The Fulton County School System provides parent access to their children's student information via a Web Based application called Parent Connect, which is supplied by Pearson Education, Inc.  This application utilizes SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology with 128 bit encryption to provide security for access to the data provided on the application servers, and to protect parent and student data from inappropriate access by unauthorized users.  The application uses a 'security certificate' installed on each server to provide this security.  The Fulton County Schools' Division of Information Technology manages two SSL security certificate servers to distribute these certificates to the Parent Connect servers, which is the most cost effective means to provide industry standard security functionality.  All users accessing 'secure' websites, such as Parent Connect, are prompted with a warning that a security certificate is being accessed, unless they have already taken the opportunity to list the particular site as a 'Trusted' site.  Most users respond to these warning messages as a normal part of internet activity without significant analysis of the messages' meaning.  This has always been the case when accessing Parent Connect servers.  Recent upgrades to Internet Explorer version 7 have made these warning messages more imposing and suggest that the security certificate is not valid and therefore should not be trusted.  This has caused concern by many parents in our communities.  You can assure your parents that the data stored on FCBOE Parent Connect servers and their access to the data is secure!

In an attempt to ease the concerns and make the usage of Parent Connect more comfortable for parents, the Student Information Department is installing an explanation of the Warning on each of the Parent Connect servers, as well as, a mechanism to identify the Parent Connect server as a 'Trusted' site on each parents computers being used to connect to Parent Connect.  This would alleviate the warning message from being displayed on subsequent visits to the site.  Attached is the document that is being installed on all servers.  Please feel free to share this with your parents.

Again, let me emphasize that the Parent Connect Servers are secure and that the security warning messages being displayed are a NORMAL part of doing business with today's technology.

Thanks for your support of SI applications!  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Randall A. Cason
Coordinator of Student Data
Student Information Department